We just came back from New York where we spent Spring break with our children. It was a lot of fun seeing the sights. Our family also really enjoys learning about the history of places as we visit them. We read every plaque we see and visit as many museums as we can.
We were in Buffalo, New York before we went to New York City. In Buffalo we saw plaques and monuments to US President Fillmore. He was from Buffalo.- the last Whig President. We saw a monument to President McKinley who was assassinated in Buffalo. We saw a statue of President Lincoln. I put a Salvation Army 614 toque on him for a picture; we did this unknowingly on or near an anniversary of one of his massacres of indigenous peoples. (Lincoln, sadly, was responsible for many brutal acts and a lot of death and destruction). We saw a monument to Canadian and American friendship noting that our two flags should fly side-by-side for eternity but, alas, they had Ireland's flag flying instead of Canada's. (This was ironically on the same day that our Canadian government mixed up the Belgian and German flags).
In New York we saw monuments to President Roosevelt and others and we visited the New York Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Many Great things have been accomplished by Americans. Some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments, however, were things that offended my Canadian sensibilities. But here is the thing: I am just a tourist. I can't vote in US elections. I can't change their laws or their culture. I don't have the rights of a US citizen and I shouldn't because I am not one. Even though many Canadians seem to forget it in this day and age as in both our social and mainstream media, we weigh in on their domestic policy as if it were our domestic policy. It is not. They are a foreign country. I am a tourist. When I am there, I am a gracious guest and I do not forget that I am no more than that.
It is the same in our life here on earth for those of us who are Christians. We need to stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't get drawn into audiaphoron, matters of spiritual indifference - things that have no relevance to his eternity kingdom. I have seen Christians detract from the policies of Christ by promoting the policies of Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans, or Democrats as if Christ supports any of these parties over the others - he doesn't. (They should support him!) We need to serve Christ remembering that if indeed we are Christians our allegiance belongs to him for - just like us last week in New York - we Christians are just visiting until we return to heaven or Christ returns to earth as Lord of all. Let us not forget where our Citizenship belongs.
Question: how can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world?
We were in Buffalo, New York before we went to New York City. In Buffalo we saw plaques and monuments to US President Fillmore. He was from Buffalo.- the last Whig President. We saw a monument to President McKinley who was assassinated in Buffalo. We saw a statue of President Lincoln. I put a Salvation Army 614 toque on him for a picture; we did this unknowingly on or near an anniversary of one of his massacres of indigenous peoples. (Lincoln, sadly, was responsible for many brutal acts and a lot of death and destruction). We saw a monument to Canadian and American friendship noting that our two flags should fly side-by-side for eternity but, alas, they had Ireland's flag flying instead of Canada's. (This was ironically on the same day that our Canadian government mixed up the Belgian and German flags).
In New York we saw monuments to President Roosevelt and others and we visited the New York Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Many Great things have been accomplished by Americans. Some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments, however, were things that offended my Canadian sensibilities. But here is the thing: I am just a tourist. I can't vote in US elections. I can't change their laws or their culture. I don't have the rights of a US citizen and I shouldn't because I am not one. Even though many Canadians seem to forget it in this day and age as in both our social and mainstream media, we weigh in on their domestic policy as if it were our domestic policy. It is not. They are a foreign country. I am a tourist. When I am there, I am a gracious guest and I do not forget that I am no more than that.
It is the same in our life here on earth for those of us who are Christians. We need to stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't get drawn into audiaphoron, matters of spiritual indifference - things that have no relevance to his eternity kingdom. I have seen Christians detract from the policies of Christ by promoting the policies of Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans, or Democrats as if Christ supports any of these parties over the others - he doesn't. (They should support him!) We need to serve Christ remembering that if indeed we are Christians our allegiance belongs to him for - just like us last week in New York - we Christians are just visiting until we return to heaven or Christ returns to earth as Lord of all. Let us not forget where our Citizenship belongs.
Question: how can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world?
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